Yeeeeeeee-haaaaaw

I'm connected to you today via DSL. I cannot even begin to describe, for there are no words to adequately describe, how happy I am right now. If you know me well, you know how words cannot describe how much I dislike my current satelite provider. We've had the horror story of all customer service horror stories when dealing with that company. We're so far out in the boonies we thought we were doomed to a life of dealing with the evil empire called HughesNet. We were skeptical when the phone company sent us some junk mail claiming they could provide DSL service all the way out here. We'd been through that before, getting our hopes up by the sales staff only to be shot down when the techies got involved. But always the optimists we called and signed up. The technician called today and instead of saying "Sorry miss we can't install the service" he said "Everything is ready to go, plug in the modem and have fun surfing." I batted my eyes like a frog in a hail storm, stunned by what I had just heard. I didn't believe him, but now I'm surfin' at mach speed! Yahoo! I may need to install a seatbelt in my easy chair!

Gettin' Er Done

The craft room is about as organized as it's going to get. I'm pleased with it considering all the furniture and shelving, etc. was recycled from our last house. Back when I had the most fabulous craft room ever. So fabulous it was drooled upon by all who entered and was even published in a few magazines. *sniff* Dang, I miss that room. Well, really I miss the free time I spent in that room. That was life before homeschooling. But I wouldn't give up what I have now for the world, let alone that room. This room will do just fine.



I wasn't able to fit all of my books and stamps in, but the engineer says he'll build some bookshelves to fit in that hallway you can see on the left in that top photo. I wasn't able to set up a spot for my ironing board to stay up all the time either, but that's okay. Now I have a legitimate excuse for not ironing clothes. It would just be too much work to drag that old board out. But if I'm buying a stack of fabric for a quilt, then that would be another story. ;)

Busier than a one-eyed cat watchin' two mouse holes.

The man came to fill up the fuel oil furnace. I didn't pass out when he handed me the bill, but we immediately called someone to come blow in some more insulation in the attic. They'll be here Friday. Of course it's not just that easy. I needed a light fixture installed in the closet. You know, just one of those old fashioned pull-the-string kind. Better to do it now than after all that insulation is in the way. The engineer spent some time recently sealing all the duct work, too. We need to put the storm doors back up and try to get ahead of that horrible wind whistling noise we suffered through last year.

Then there's the entire reorganization of the upstairs. We're installing carpet in one of the bedrooms. The one that served as my sewing room. After it's carpeted it will become the master bedroom, freeing up the room we're currently using for a kiddo or two. So I've relocated the sewing room to the loft at the top of the back stairway. I've crammed all my scrapbooking and rubber stamping stuff in there too. Well, most of it. There's so much stuff it won't all fit. But luckily I'm using some of it up. On top of all the other tasks, I'm working on a family album that we need to present to the social worker when she comes to do our homestudy. She called today to schedule it. Now I have to get busy, finish childproofing and clean this house too...

Bigfoot Spotted at Local Corn Maze...

No wait, that's not Bigfoot. That's me! Still a rare sighting considering I'm usually behind the camera, but I don't have big feet. Well maybe they're big considering my height, but you didn't really come here to read about my feet did you?

Have you ever been through a haunted corn maze? Neither have I, but my kid and all his friends and their families did Friday night. I volunteered to be brave and stay and make sure the campfire didn't die out. Would have hated for them to come back all cold and scared and not be able to warm themselves.


It's not that I was too scared to go in the maze after the hay ride. Nope. Those screams coming from the corn didn't drag up any unresolved issues of Steven King novels for me. No, I was just genuinely concerned about guarding our fire and belongings. Someone may have run off with our cider, or worse yet our marshmallows. Cause, you know, those criminal types are always out looking for marshmallows. I saved the day by not going in that maze.

Whodunit?

Somebody laid an egg. A pinkish brown egg. It wasn't Beth, our "special" chicken who lays green eggs. (That's one of the reasons she's special.) Or Sammie who lays nice, pretty brown eggs. Nope, it was one of the potentially evicted. Problem is, I don't know which of the sixteen did it. So I don't know who gets to stay. I think we need to come up with a chicken cam so we can catch her in the act. Maybe we could broadcast it live right here. It would be like an online version of the game Clue. I could make little chicken costumes, Colonel Mustard, Miss Scarlet, Mrs. Peacock. Yeah, yeah, I can see it now. We could become an overnight web sensation!

Or I suppose it might be simpler to just keep them all.

My Little Dream House on the Prairie

My dream house sits just a stone's throw away from the blacksmith shop. It's wrap around porch just calls me to sit and snap some beans or something.


The cozy interior is furnished perfectly. Everything you really, truly need is here.


I'd move in tomorrow if the park staff would let me. My family laughs at that and claims I wouldn't last a day. But what they don't know is that I've been dreaming of this place since I was a little girl.



When I read the Little House books or watched the series on TV, in my mind I was Laura. Just standing inside this humble little abode makes me wonder if I didn't live in such a place in a former life or was it just the childhood dreams that make it feel so much like home?

I'd last longer than a day. The only thing I can think of that I've become too spoiled to live without would be a fan on those steamy August days where the air is so thick and still you can't breathe. But even then I could just take a dip in the pond to cool off I suppose. Yep, if it were just me, I'd be moving.

The Blacksmith Shop

The village smithy, a place where men have gathered for centuries among the flames, heat, smoke and noise.


You won't want to believe me, but this is a brand new building. It's dedication was held just today with a ribbon cutting ceremony. Complete with a metal ribbon of course!


The craftsmanship is amazing. All the logs are hand hewn. As are all the buildings in this little village.


Each window is fashioned with unique metal crossbars. The doors sport hand wrought hinges and latches.


The forges consist of a raised brick hearth outfitted with bellows to feed the coal fire and a hood to carry the smoke away.


With a forge and anvil, hammer and tongs, blacksmiths can make almost anything.


Everything here is made from a simple railroad tie.


These men are some of the finest you will ever have the opportunity to meet. They are willing to pour their blood, sweat and tears into building an environment where the future may learn from the past.


And ladies, believe it or not, these big burly men can even cook up a darn fine meal. I've never had ham and beans so good!